


Saying Goodbye

by madnessandbrilliance



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Canon, F/M, Hehehe, POV Annabeth, POV Change, hey look it's their first kiss, the great fic transfer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-14
Updated: 2016-06-14
Packaged: 2018-07-15 02:37:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7202873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madnessandbrilliance/pseuds/madnessandbrilliance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As they look at each other in the light of the magma, the final line of the prophecy echoes in her mind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Saying Goodbye

Both of them stare at the dark shadows of the telekines, pounding away at the sharp blade that sends shivers down Annabeth's spine. There was something about that white-hot piece of metal that just…wasn't right.

Millions of theories, stratagems and plans flick through Annabeth's brain like channels of a television, and she quickly discards all of them. There was just no way—nothing they could do—they were trapped, and the thought that she—a daughter of Athena—couldn't figure something out scared her almost as much as the idea that they were going to die.

She turns to Percy, to see if he has any crazy, impulsive, last minute plan that could save the day, and is shocked to see a newfound determination light his startling eyes. He suddenly turns to look at her, grimly, and it is that look that makes her heart pound faster, abruptly dreading what he was about to say.

"Get out."

Had she heard him right? Get out? He was crazy if he thought that she, Annabeth Chase would abandon him here. Not now, after all they had been through.

"What? No! I'm not leaving you!" Her heart starts beating even faster, and her breathing constricts. She wasn't going to leave him. She couldn't leave him.

"I've got a plan," Percy says. He swallows, and in that moment she can see how frightened he really is. "I'll distract them. You can use the metal spider— maybe it'll lead you back to Hephaestus. You have to tell him what's going on."

The heat of the cave seems to become hotter. Her mouth is dry with dread and all she can think is no, no, no. A bead of perspiration drips down her neck. He's just sitting there, expecting her to leave him!

Her heart feels like its breaking. She can't lose him too. Not after losing Thalia, not after losing Luke, not after losing Grover and Tyson. He is all she has left. This stupid, moronic, obtuse, loyal, handsome, self-sacrificing Seaweed Brain cannot go.

It's so hot that they are both sweating, and his face is glistening, his messy, windswept black hair sticking to his face and his neck, making his gorgeous eyes even brighter. Just looking at him, she can see that he is absolutely terrified. And of course he is.

"But you'll be killed!"

He takes another deep breath and she is sorry that she just said it like that because he begins to shake. His hands tremble and he clenches them into fists.

But his voice is steady.

"I'll be fine," He says, and they both know it's a lie. His eyes lock onto hers, and he holds her gaze. "Besides, we've got no choice."

She wants to argue with him even more, but there is something about the way his jaw is set that makes her realize it would be pointless. Besides, she can hear the cries of the Telekines coming closer, and she knows they will not last.

Annabeth's eyes water, and a lump grows in her throat, burning like the lava just a few feet away. In that moment she forgets Luke, forgets the quest and Daedalus, forgets the labyrinth, Janus, Hera, forgets everything, because that line from the prophecy is just pounding, pounding in her head and she knows that she lost.

No matter how you try you can't beat fate.

And lose a love to worse than death.

In a split second her genius mind realizes something her heart has known for a long time, and it just kills her that it happens now, when she can't do anything about it.

Well…maybe she can.

Before she can change her mind she grabs him by the front of his shirt and pulls him towards her, and just kisses him. His lips meet hers and he tastes like sweet salt, and even though it's only a little more than a peck on the lips she breathes in the ocean scent of him one last time, trying to put in all he jumbled mess of feelings into that kiss. He is warm, and alive, but before he can kiss her back—which she certainly hoped he would do once he caught up—she pulls away with some difficulty, blinking back tears.

"Be careful Seaweed Brain," She chokes out. His eyes are wide, his expression dazed. His lips were slightly parted and his expression—almost comical— sends a feeling of warmth through her. She made him feel like that. But then she remembers what she has to do, and that feeling vanishes. It's hard for her to turn away, to put her cap on and disappear, but she does. It's even harder to begin to run away from him. Every instinct is telling her to turn and fight, to face the telekines with him by her side, her Seaweed Brain, to stay with him like he always did for her.

But she keeps moving.

Her feet pound against the gravel and she moves further down, past the 6 feet tall monsters, past the forges, and behind her she hears the screeches of more and more telekines pouring into the cave. Its takes all her willpower not to turn back.

She breaks into the tunnel and her feet move faster and faster. She is sprinting now, tearing out of the cave. Maybe she can get help and save him before it's too late.

The entrance to the forges grows farther and farther behind her, and suddenly she hears a bloodcurdling scream echo from that direction. She stumbles to a stop, her hair slapping her face as she whips around in horror. She knows that voice as well as she knows her own.

His voice, matured so deeply over the course of the last year is drawn out into a painful, throat-tearing yell of agony that sends a piercing pain into her heart. She can hear it from there.

Without thinking she begins to move, slow steps in the direction of the forge. She had to save him. She didn't care what he said. He was hers, and she could not, would not lose him.

A rumble in the mountain shook the ground, making her trip and sprawl on the floor. Her Yankees cap tumbles off her head and she grabs is, stuffing it into her pocket before getting to her feet. A roaring sound makes its way towards her, and a wave of heat hits her from the direction of the forge.

The same instincts telling her to fight before were screaming at her to flee now. She gasped and began to run, yet again, away from the forge, even faster than before in her panic to survive. The roaring sound grows louder and louder and the part of her brain not engulfed in panic—the Athena part—knows it's too late.

The mountain exploded with her Seaweed Brain inside. He's gone.

Rocks rain down from the roof of the tunnel, and Annabeth's only thought now is to get away. To safety. She keeps going and going, and it's a while before she realizes that the roaring is gone, and the tunnel is cooler.

She doesn't feel hot anymore. She is freezing. Her teeth begin to shatter.

She falls to her knees and begins to sob.

**Author's Note:**

> This work was inspired by fanfiction dot net's whispered touches End of All Things. I really rec it. Hope you liked my take. Love to hear feedback. Find me on tumblr for fandom stuff, and requests --> http://madness-and-brilliance.tumblr.com/


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